


Flight Schooled

by wyntirrose



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-25
Updated: 2012-09-25
Packaged: 2017-11-15 01:10:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/521488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wyntirrose/pseuds/wyntirrose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Powerglide and the Aerialbots test their skills in mock aerial combat.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Flight Schooled

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to bittereloquence for betaing.

Powerglide soared upward at a steep angle, flying almost parallel to the earth. Sunlight sparkled off his wings like a million diamonds as he broke out of the clouds, trailing a ragged curtain of pure white fog behind him. He continued his upwards climb until he finally hit his alt-mode’s ceiling. With a cough his turbines stuttered and strained as he continued to climb well beyond his allowed parameters. He knew he would stall out if he kept this up, but pride, arrogance, and the laughter of younger jets kept him going.

Powerglide had challenged the Aerials, claiming that he could tag all of them before they got him. And so, armed with special paint-ball versions of their weapons and the promise that they would remain in alt-mode, they had all taken to the skies with only Silverbolt sitting out to observe.

Fireflight had taken himself out of the battle when he followed Powerglide too low and hit a copse of trees. Skydive was surprisingly next to fall when the Warthog came at him from below, taking out his tail in the process. Air Raid and Slingshot had learned from their brothers’ mistakes and were now ganging up on Powerglide. The plan was simple -- Air Raid would chase the older flyer up past his limit and force a stall, then Slingshot would move in for the “kill” as the Warthog tumbled toward the earth.

Unfortunately for the remaining Aerialbots, Powerglide wasn’t about to fall so easily into their trap. He had been at this for far too long to be bullied by two younglings not even a vorn old. After all, he had learned in the best possible school – surviving the fire of Hunter-Seekers with only ground support and a small, thoroughly insane space scout for backup.

Powerglide allowed his turbines to stall and he fell instantly like a stone, firing wildly at Air Raid as the Eagle approached. It was a calculated risk to be sure. A Decepticon Seeker would have taken advantage of the perceived weakness, but Powerglide was sure that he would win this little game of chicken. His bet paid off as Air Raid dodged at the last moment just as Powerglide restarted his turbines and righted, clipping the young hothead’s left wing in the process. Now all that was left was to take out Slingshot. 

The Harrier hovered just above the ground, far under Powerglide’s lowest range and waited. For his part all the Warthog could do was circle and wait for Slingshot to rise, but the Aerialbot didn’t seem at all inclined to move.

“You planning on doing something? Or are you just gonna keep circling like a turkey vulture?” Slingshot asked through the comms. “I mean, I’m right here, why don’t you come get me?”

“You’re surprising me, kid. I never took you for the chicken type,” Powerglide replied, hoping to get the youngster riled up enough to make a tactical error. “What? You just gonna sit there until we both run out of fuel? Or maybe yer plannin’ on landing and giving up? After all, I took out all yer brothers no problem.”

Slingshot shifted slightly as he rose, though still not high enough to allow a proper shot. “I’m not my brothers. I’ve watched what they’ve done and I’m not about t’ fall into one of your traps, Old Mech.”

Powerglide laughed at the insult, barrel rolling through a nearby cloud. “Looks like you may have actually learned some tactics, kiddo. Don’t tell me you’ve actually been listening to Skydive?”

Slingshot made a rude noise. “Hardly. I’m just naturally this talented.”

“Yes, well, it seems to me that we’re at a bit of an impasse here, kid,” Powerglide said casually as he continued to turn and dive through the air. “But see here’s the thing … this is a mock air battle. If this were the real deal, the enemy wouldn’t be giving you the option of staying down there and out of the way.”

Slingshot made a rude noise. “Yeah, but the enemy is made up of F-15 Eagles. You’ll excuse me if I say they’re a tad more impressive than an antiquated A10 Thunderbolt.”

“Oh you have so much to learn, Slingshot. And hopefully you’ll live long enough to actually learn it.”

It was the only warning the Harrier received as Powerglide fell into a steep dive, heading nose-first to the ground. He brushed off the warnings his system was sending him as his gyros went into panic mode.

“Oh slag!” Slingshot tried to move as a hail of paint peppered the ground around him but he was too slow to evade the suicide dive and his wings were showered by red.

“Tag!” Powerglide’s voice was tight and strained as he forced himself out of the dive, his wings screaming in protest as he pulled up far too close to the ground, and far under his lowest possible range. Transforming, he hit the ground in a tumble of wings and limbs, finally coming to rest near the door to the Ark.

“Powerglide!” Silverbolt cried as he ran up to the downed flyer.

The red mech was still on the ground, body shaking violently and the Aerialbot commander was about to comm Ratchet, when he realized that Powerglide was laughing.

“Oh wow! That was incredible!” Powerglide managed to gasp out between peals of laughter. “Oh we _have_ to do that again!”

“Most certainly not!” Silverbolt shot back angrily. “The entire thing had my spark nearly out of my chest, and this last stunt? Look, I am all for you helping us to train for combat, but you _cannot_ put your life at risk like this! What if you hadn’t been able to pull out in time? What if you’d hit Slings with that stunt?!”

“Calm down, Bolt,” Slingshot said as he casually strode up to the pair of flyers, his brothers near at his back. “He didn’t crash that hard, he didn’t hit me, and-”

“And it was so much fun!” Fireflight said happily, practically vibrating with glee. “Can we go again? I mean, after we’ve cleaned up? Please?”

“It is good practice,” Skydive added. “And Powerglide has a point. The Seekers aren’t going to go easy on us, so all the tactical experience we can get will help.”

“And besides, you need to give us the chance to get back at him!” Air Raid said, glaring at Powerglide, though there was no heat in the gaze. “I mean, really! An ancient mini-bot managing to take us all out? We need to put him back in his place!”

“I’m already exactly where I belong, kiddos! Better than you lot in every way possible!” Powerglide shot back. “And I’ll prove it again and again, no matter how many times we run this little exercise.”

Silverbolt could only shake his head at the continuous assault of requests for another go. “Look! We’ll talk about it later. After you’ve cleaned up. I don’t want any of you in the Aerie with that paint all over you.”

With that the Aerialbot commander turned and stalked back into the Ark.

“I would say that that was a definite maybe for an approved rematch,” Slingshot said smugly. “And once we’ve worked on him a little more, it’ll be a yes and we can officially kick your old timer aft, ‘Glide!”

“You’re welcome to try, kiddo. You’re welcome to try,” Powerglide replied as he started back into the base. “Hey, maybe next time we should include Cosmos in this.”

“No way!” The Aerials all said together.

“Nope! That mech’s even more insane than you are!” Slingshot said, following his brothers into the base and toward the washracks, already thinking on how he was going to convince Silverbolt over to their side.


End file.
